Fourth European Working Conditions Survey (2005)

Data from the Fourth European Working Conditions Survey provides a unique insight into the views of around 30,000 workers in 31 countries on a wide range of issues including work organisation, working time, equal opportunities, training, health & safety and job satisfaction.

Background

The fourth major wave of the European Working Conditions Survey was conducted in 2005. The survey aims to provide an analysis of working conditions in the EU27, in the two candidate countries (Turkey and Croatia), as well as in Switzerland and Norway. In total, nearly 30,000 individual workers were interviewed in face-to-face interviews in their own homes in the period September-November 2005.

The 2005 survey was carried out using the same methodology as in previous instances and is based on a questionnaire containing a core of common questions, allowing meaningful comparisons to be made between this survey and previous editions. Obviously, the comparative analysis is limited to those countries that were EU Member States at the time each successive survey was carried out. Country comparisons should be made with caution as the distribution of the workforce differs widely between countries.

Conducting an international survey in many different countries and languages was very demanding in terms of organisational planning and procedures. In order to ensure that the survey was carried out to the highest specifications and scientific standards, a detailed methodological framework was put in place.